Can Propranolol Help Me Sleep

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Having trouble sleeping at night and was wondering if propranolol would help as they slow your heart beat?

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1

No, it is not safe to try to use them to induce sleep.

Propranolol can cause some drowsiness as a side effect, but it is actually most commonly used to help lower high blood pressure and improper use of it can be dangerous, due to the fact that it can lower your heart rate and blood pressure.

You can learn more Propranolol details here.

Thus, the first thing you need to do is get to the root of the problem.

What is causing you to have trouble sleeping?

Have you tried cutting out stimulants after 3pm, such as caffeine, chocolate and sugars?

Do you keep a consistent bedtime and wake time?

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2

Propranolol can help some people sleep, particularly if their lack of sleep is due to anxiety or PTSD (ruminating, fear of sleeping) but some people find it hard to fall asleep on. It is suggested to take it several hours before bedtime if this is a problem. However, it does interfere with REM sleep, leading to shorter or interrupted REM periods and frequent awakenings with remembered dreams, which may be unusually vivid or bizarre. Depending on dosage and personal response, this may make it a less attractive sleep aid...you may sleep more easily, but will sleep more poorly. There are other beta blockers that don't cross the blood-brain barrier and do not affect the CNS (and sleep architecture) as badly.

Having said that, dosages for anxiety and PTSD are significantly lower than for its other uses, 10-40 mg/day compared to 160-240 for migraine, 120-320 for tremor and up to 640 mg for hypertension. Propranolol is considered to have a relatively short half-life, depending who you ask and which kind you're taking. If for anxious rumination/sleep I would guess NOT the long acting sort. Peak plasma levels are achieved 60-90 minutes after administration and peak effect 1-4 hours later, plasma half-life is 2-3 hours. It is cleared from the system totally within 48 hours but at a dosage <40mg this would be negligible after a much shorter time.

I took it for essential tremor and social anxiety but found a very low dose to be sufficient for both. I did not notice feeling tired, but I did have somewhat more vivid dreams. I didn't take it specifically for sleep, but earlier in the day, so I can't comment on how it impacted falling asleep. I have chronic insomnia (a family trait) and non-circadian sleep problems (difficulty "setting" my sleep clock without help) so I'm not going to lecture you about sleep hygiene. Chances are good you've already tried all those free and simple 'cures', as I did. Eventually sleep aids proved ineffective for me as I develop tolerance. Now I take Modafinil to reset my errant internal clock each morning instead.

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3

Hi, i've not had a good nights sleep for 4 years and now its affecting my daily activities so I went to the doctors who prescribed Propranolol. First night slept like a baby - wonderful!! tonight, i'm posting here at 3.15am!! Lol.
After researching a bit i'm surprised I was prescribed a Beta blocker because I have low heart rate (about 54 usually at rest) and blood pressure of about 115/65 - anyone any thoughts about whether they are for me?

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4

No it doesn't seem. Maybe if it doesn't lower your pressure and heart rate further and your sleeplessness is due to axiety and agitation. But no. It is very strange, try to speak to your doctor or maybe better to another doctor. Lowering a heart rate of 54 or something is not a great idea.

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5

It is not at all usual to be prescribed Propanol for insomnia. While it can does relieve symptoms of anxiety such as rapid hard rate and lower your metabolism and make you drowsy, it actually can disrupt your sleep cycle by interfering with the production of melatonin.

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6

It is not at all usual to be prescribed Propanol for insomnia. While it can does relieve symptoms of anxiety such as rapid hard rate and lower your metabolism and make you drowsy, it actually can disrupt your sleep cycle by interfering with the production of melatonin. Googled it myself after night two of not feeling tired.

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7

It is not at all usual to be prescribed Propanol for insomnia. While it can does relieve symptoms of anxiety such as rapid hard rate and lower your metabolism and make you drowsy, it actually can disrupt your sleep cycle by interfering with the production of melatonin. Googled it myself after night two of not feeling tired. The solution in this case is to take melatonin.

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8

No...Propanolol interferes with the production of melatonin and can actually disrupt sleep. See article link:

articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/10/18/melatonin-improves-sleep.aspx

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9

I recently started taking as needed Propranolol to reduce stress. I do not take it often. Prescription is for 10mg tablets. The few times I have used it I noticed I slept better. I experimented twice this week taking 5mg at bedtime and I seemed to have slept better.

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10

I was just prescribed Propanolol for an arrhythmia and is causing me insomnia. So no it doesn't help with sleep on the contrary it causes sleep problems because beta blockers reduce melatonin levels

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11

Re: Patry (# 10) Expand Referenced Message

Last year I was prescribed a sustained-action Propranalol 60mg. I have not had a decent night's sleep since! I never dream anymore. On my doctor's advice, I spent a night in a sleep lab. So far, none of my doctors has mentioned the fact that the propranalol may be interfering with the production of melatonin.

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12

If you are experiencing insomnia to a point where it is interfering with your life it’s time to talk to your doctor. You should first speak with them and rule out depression or a physical problem. Some conditions like MS can mess with your sleep cycle.

There is a safe yet temporary med that might give you some relief and allow you to get back on track but I wouldn’t recommend it for more then two weeks. It’s called Zopiclone and when you go off it you will have what’s known as rebound insomnia.

Get into a sleep study and rule out apnea or phase delay syndrome. That’s where I would start. Rule out the obvious and be seen by a sleep specialist.

I have serious insomnia to the point where I don’t sleep for days at a time. I take 15 zopiclone a night and still have issues. My situation was caused by MS lesions forming in the sleep center of my brain. Without Meds I’d literally die from lack of sleep. Sleep plays a vital role in hormones and memory and many many aspects to your body you don’t even realize. For instance lack of sleep can cause heart problems, cancer of the lungs has been linked to lack of sleep. If you feel you need help seek it out don’t try experimenting. If I gave you a Fentanyl patch and told you to suck on it so you can sleep would you do it? It would kill you. The drug your talking about will do the same if not monitored. Don’t mess around seek help from a professional!

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13

Try Melatonin 10mg a night, which is quite a strong dose actually. Don't mess with trying two or three tablets as that can seriously mess with your mind.

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14

Gravol (a motion sickness pill) works as well.

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15

Re: Verwon (# 1) Expand Referenced Message

I don’t think it’s the same medication that Michael Jackson died from PROFENOL (sp?)
PROPANOL is a high blood pressure med, if I’m correct.

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16

I release recently found out that one of my prescriptions is propranolol I think that's how you say it. I have a something wrong with my chest and I can't remember what it is but the main thing is that the medication that they gave me was not what they said they were going to give me because I always check my medications when I get home. I'm not sure if I'm looking at them right or if they did give me the right medications if you could hit me back up I will send pictures of them because I can't take pain medicine until I know what it is appreciate it thank you

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